61% of Americans Want Tougher Government Oversight of Social Media Companies

A majority of Americans support tighter government regulation of social media companies, including measures requiring age-verification technology to keep younger children off the platforms, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.

The six-day online survey, which ended on Aug. 3, included 4,505 U.S. adults. The poll has a margin of error of about two percentage points.

The findings come as technology companies such as Meta and Google’s YouTube face growing legal and political pressure over their impact on young users. Prosecutors in several U.S. states have accused Meta of designing its products in ways that can encourage young people to become addicted. Meta has denied the allegations.

According to the poll, 61% of Americans believe social media companies should face tougher government oversight. Support was highest among Democrats, at 71%, followed by Republicans at 62%.

The survey also found that 66% of Americans support laws requiring social media companies to use age-verification technology to prevent children under 16 from accessing their platforms. Support for the proposal stood at 74% among Republicans and 69% among Democrats.

Meanwhile, 85% of respondents said they believe social media can be addictive for children. A similar proportion said social media use could harm children’s mental health.

More than a dozen U.S. states have passed laws aimed at restricting minors’ access to social media or strengthening online protections for children. However, business groups backed by major social media companies, including Meta, TikTok and Snap, have challenged some age-verification laws in court, arguing that they could violate free-speech protections.

In another recent development, a New Mexico court ordered Meta to pay $567 million to a state fund supporting teenagers’ mental health and directed the company to make changes to how its platforms operate for young users. Meta has faced increasing scrutiny from lawmakers and courts over the potential effects of its platforms on children and teenagers.

Despite concerns about children’s safety, Americans continue to use and enjoy social media. Seventy percent of respondents said they enjoy spending time on social media platforms, while 35% said using them causes stress.

The poll also found that 52% of Americans believe they spend too much time on social media each day, while 43% said they do not.

James Bosardet, a 60-year-old mechanical engineer from Tennessee who voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, said he generally favors a smaller government role in Americans’ lives. However, he believes authorities may need to take action to protect children online.

“Someone has to do it,” Bosardet said, adding that although he does not necessarily want the government involved, “maybe it should be.”

Christopher Chen, a 34-year-old Washington, D.C., resident who voted for Kamala Harris in 2024, said social media companies have too much influence over teenagers and that some form of government action is needed to protect users.

“I don’t know what the regulation should look like,” Chen said. “But the government needs to do something to ensure people’s safety.”

Despite growing public support for regulation, the U.S. Congress has yet to pass nationwide legislation specifically aimed at protecting children from social media platforms.